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Console Creatures – Raph Koster, Stars Reach
MMORPGs have, in many ways, been foundational to video games as a whole, not only one of the most enduring genres out there but crucial for developing the ideas of player sandboxes, open worlds, crafting, and much more. Equally, Raph Koster, the creator of Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, is a key pioneer of MMORPGs….
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Mein MMO – Legendary developer wants you to play his new MMORPG without a Wiki, using his own technology
In the new game from developer legend Raph Koster, you can expect a huge game world full of random events that are meant to make the use of a wiki impossible. At least that is the plan for Stars Reach, which will be released on Steam.
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Console Creatures – Stars Reach Wants to Bring MMORPGs Back to Their Sandbox Roots, and It’s Got All the Right Ideas
MMORPGs are among the most enduring genres in video games — massive experiences that continue to run for years, or even decades, with tremendously dedicated fanbases. But like most of the industry, it’s fair to say that even MMOs are stuck in a bit of a rut, struggling to find ways to innovate meaningfully and bring on new players. And it’s equally hard for new MMOs to break onto the scene when so much is dominated by the big players like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV…..
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ComicBook.Com – The 8 Indie Games From SGF 2026 That You Can’t Sleep On
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CGMagazine’s Best of Summer Game Fest 2026
Summer Game Fest 2026 has come and gone, and across four gamers here at CGM, we had over 65 appointments for various games and interviews. Whether it was Summer Game Fest Play Days, the XBOX Games Showcase, or various appointments strewn across Los Angeles last week, we had an array of different genres and experiences to choose from. At CGM, we pride ourselves on our coverage spanning AAA and indie titles, with anything from cozy games to horror. Summer Game Fest 2026 had no shortage of options, and our best of SGF list this year is as diverse as this year’s lineup was….
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BUTWHYTHO – ‘Stars Reach’ Shoots For The Stars With Exploration And Player Expression
This year at Summer Game Fest, I got to play Stars Reach, an MMORPG published and developed by Playable Worlds, Inc. The MMORPG genre is a mainstay of PC gaming, adapting various IPs across the decades, like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, The Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy and more. Lately it’s even begun spinning off into MMO-lite titles like Destiny, the Division, and others that borrow certain aspects of gameplay and apply them to a different genre.
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PCGamer – Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies vet tells me the theme park ‘assembly line’ MMO just isn’t viable anymore, especially as dev costs spike: ‘We hit the wall’
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PCGAMESN – Stars Reach’s Raph Koster wants the MMO to be as “wiki-resistant” as possible to keep “the magic more alive”
Stars Reach is the upcoming sci-fi sandbox MMO from former Ultima design lead Raph Koster’s Playable Worlds. It’s a hugely ambitious project, integrating all sorts of simulatory tech to give players a ridiculous level of control over their environments. Complex terraforming of entire planets is possible here, and you never know what sorts of creatures you’ll have to fend off, or what material you’ll be able to farm to help make your millions. The sheer scale of proceduralism at play is impressive, and as Koster explains to Tom at Summer Game Fest, makes it almost impossible to accurately map through wikis.
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The Starside – June 18, 2026
Hello, Wayfarers!
It’s been a wild couple weeks, and we can’t wait to give you the full download!
We just got back from Los Angeles, where we met with press and creators attending Summer Game Fest. It was simply unbelievable to finally get to share what we’ve been working on, giving media and creators a chance to go hands-on with Stars Reach and experience a guided tour given by Raph himself!
But don’t take our word for it (we’re ALWAYS excited about what we’re working on). Instead, check out what members of the press are saying about their first encounter with Stars Reach!
Stars Reach could be the second coming of the sandbox MMO, with player-built cities and 40+ Star Wars Galaxies-style professions to give me hope (PC Gamer)
“The thing that really gives me hope are the things that Koster says players are already doing with this sandbox-level freedom—for example, one of playtesters’ largest guilds is an animal conservation union: ‘They actually try to preserve all of the different species of animals and plants, because if you choose to pave this place over, you can actually drive the creatures extinct. That species will never appear again in the game.’”
Hands-On Preview: Stars Reach Represents The Dream MMOs Have Promised For Decades, And I Can’t Contain My Excitement
[Themepark MMOs] still feel limiting in the overall promise of what MMOs can be for me: expressions of gameplay freedom.
Stars Reach feels like an answer to that age-old desire. Presenting what feels like the ultimate sandbox, it’s got shades of No Man’s Sky’s level of exploration freedom, with the possibilities to create meaningful in-game societies and cultures like an EVE Online. It’s frankly massive skill tree looks like a natural evolution to the dream that Koster’s old game, Star Wars Galaxies, hinted at, with combat and non-combat skills and roles providing immense value to the overall ecosystem and economy of Stars Reach.
And if that’s not enough for you, check out some of the other great coverage we’ve been receiving:
- Stars Reach’s Raph Koster wants the MMO to be as “wiki-resistant” as possible to keep “the magic more alive” – PCGamesN
- Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies vet tells me the theme park ‘assembly line’ MMO just isn’t viable anymore, especially as dev costs spike: ‘We hit the wall” – PC Gamer (Yes! They wrote about us twice!)
- ‘Stars Reach’ Shoots For The Stars With Exploration And Player Expression – ButWhyTho
- CGMagazine’s Best of Summer Game Fest 2026 – CGMagazine
- One Of The Architects Of Star Wars Galaxies And UO Is Creating Something Even More Ambitious Than No Man’s Sky – ScreenRant
- The 8 Indie Games From SGF 2026 That You Can’t Sleep On – ComicBook.com
- Stars Reach Wants to Bring MMORPGs Back to Their Sandbox Roots, and It’s Got All the Right Ideas – Console Creatures
We expect more coverage will be rolling out over the coming weeks. We’ll be sure to share the latest with you as new interviews and hands-on previews pop up.
Join us for a Fireside Chat on Saturday, June 20 at 10 AM Pacific
Come join us on the Stars Reach Twitch Channel (https://www.twitch.tv/playstarsreach) on Saturday, June 20 at 10 AM Pacific as Raph discusses the latest developments, the current state of the game, and what to expect in the coming weeks.
Behind the Devs – The New World Generation System
In this episode of Behind The Devs, we sit down with Sean Grady to take a closer look at the new World Generation system coming to Stars Reach.
From massive mountain ranges and strange alien landscapes to erosion, topography, wildlife habitats, and biome distribution, we’re pulling back the curtain on how planets are being built for Early Access.
Check out the highlights from our latest community event
On Saturday, June 13, 2026, we held a community event, as teams of players adventured together out into the galaxy. Those of you who participated are going to see yourselves popping up across our channels! First up, we’re streaming the video on our Steam Store page! Go check it out!
Invites for new playtesters are open again!
And if you’re itching to get in and join the fun, we’re starting to welcome new playtesters to the party. Follow this link to get onboarded through firstlook: HERE
We’ll be bringing new players in wave by wave, so if you don’t see an invitation immediately please be patient!
And that’s all for this week! Now get out there, make some cool stuff, and don’t forget to fill out the new exit survey at the end of your play session.
We’ll see you in the Stars!
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World Gen System – Behind the Devs with Sean Grady
How do you create an infinite variety of worlds while keeping each one unique, believable, and fun to explore?
In this episode of Behind The Devs, we sit down with Sean Grady to take a closer look at the new World Generation system coming to Stars Reach. From massive mountain ranges and strange alien landscapes to erosion, topography, wildlife habitats, and biome distribution, we’re pulling back the curtain on how planets are being built for Early Access.
Everything shown in this video is a work in progress and subject to change.Some of the footage was recorded on internal development servers used for testing experimental terrain generation, topology configurations, status effects, vegetation placement, wildlife behavior, and other systems. What you’re seeing is not necessarily a finished planet, but a preview of the types of worlds our generation’s technology can create.
Watch it on YouTube:
Stars Reachstarsreachteam2024-05-30T13:05:17-07:00
Everything shown in this video is a work in progress and subject to change.